I’d taken the day off yesterday to celebrate my birthday by lounging in the backyard reading a book but instead found myself in the kitchen coming up with what I was sure was going to be my most favorite granola recipe yet.

All of the kitchen windows were wide open, my music was blaring and in the end, I enjoyed a big bowl of homemade granola with bits of mango and crunchy lentils.

Who needs birthday cake when you have homemade healthy granola to indulge in?

The great thing about the mix is that you can’t really tell that there’s lentils in it – perfect for that person in your life that just won’t eat pulses… (cough, Kevin, cough)…

1 cup dried fruit like pear, pineapple, mango, kiwi, or papaya. If you’re cutting up the dried fruit to make smaller bit-sized pieces, coat with a sprinkle of white rice flour to avoid the pieces from sticking to everything.

Preheat oven to 350F and lay sprouted lentils out on a 13×9 baking sheet. Cook for 25-30 minutes, until crunchy. The reason I sprouted the lentils was to make them easier to digest. If you’re concerned with cooking the lentils and loosing the health benefits of the sprout, feel free to dehydrate for 6-8 hours at a temperature of 105F in your dehydrator. Add to the granola after it comes out of the oven. If you don’t want to sprout, no worries, just soak for a couple of hours, drain and cook in the oven at the same temperature for 20-25 minutes.

Place lentils in a large bowl to cool. Using the same baking sheet, spread out quinoa flakes and coconut and toast for 3-4 minutes, until lightly brown.

Add toasted quinoa and coconut to the bowl with the lentils along with rice crisp, puffed amaranth and flax seed.

In a separate smaller bowl, add the wet ingredients then pour over the grain mixture until everything is covered.

Spread the mix over 2 baking sheets and roast in the oven for 10-15 minutes watching so that it doesn’t burn. The mixture will still be wet when it comes out. When you let it cool it will harden. Don’t think that the cooking process will harden everything. If you do, you’ll burn the mix.

Making puffed amaranth yourself is really, really easy. Place a small saucepan on a burner on medium-high heat. Allow to heat up for 5 minutes. Popping 1 tablespoon at a time, put on a pair of oven mitts and drop the amaranth into the heated pot. Cover with the lid, lift the saucepan from the burner and shake it back and forth for 25-30 seconds. At about the 5-8 second mark you’ll begin to hear the grains popping. Keep shaking the saucepan. The popping will get softer as time goes on. Remove the lid, dump the popped grain into a bowl and place the saucepan back on the burner to warm up again. The key to success is to move quickly so that the grain doesn’t burn.

To make with less sugar, reduce honey by 2 tablespoons and replace with nut butter or sunflower seed butter.

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Making your own puffed amaranth couldn’t be easier! I like to keep a batch on hand at all times as a quick, high protein snack. Add a bit of protein powder and coconut milk, and you have yourself one delicious cereal!

I’d never tried to toast quinoa flakes before and am not really sure why I tried it with this recipe, but it works. The quinoa takes on a whole new flavor. You have to try it!

Try not to snack too much on the dry ingredients. It’ll be hard to resist the urge and even more challenging once the wet mix is added in.

But no one said anything about licking the bowl afterward!

Adding cardamom to the wet mix was a great idea but it didn’t exactly make for the most appealing granola mixture. I was a bit concerned at this point and hoped the muddy color of the mix would disperse once it was mixed in with everything.

While my mix was baking, I set up the shoot for the granola, lost track of time, and burned the first batch.

Praise

I’m fairly new to keto and low carb (about 3 months) and I’ve never felt better. I’m totally addicted to consuming as much knowledge as my brain can take and it doesn’t feel like enough! I am amazed by what I’m learning, by what I’m feeling and by the desire I can feel inside myself to help people! I’m very inspired by you Leanne – thank you!

 Shauna

Just want to thank you and tell you how much I appreciate the way you speak and write about health and life! I’m relatively new to keto but have been Paleo-esque for awhile. I came across your name after seeing your books on some Paleo sites and hearing your interviews on other keto and health podcasts. I now look forward to every one of your own podcast episodes and blog and Instagram postings. Thanks for keeping things health oriented with a practical and nourishing approach for women! I love learning from you!

 Sarah

I’m loving The Keto Beginning Audiobook. I’m excited to order your upcoming book this spring! Thank you for your wealth of experience and positive attitude. I love your podcasts and articles.

 Tiffini

Leanne, I have learned so much from you! My three sisters, mom, and I are all eating your way of keto now. Because of your podcast I feel like we can all have a healthier relationship with food and a healthier view of what we want for our bodies. So thank you thank you thank you for who you are and what you do!!!

 Amy

You. Are. AMAZING! I have been struggling for years with health issues (joint pain, fatigue, weight gain, skin issues, depression, anxiety… the list goes on). I have been gluten free for over a decade and started Paleo three years ago. I have listened to paleo podcasts for years and continued to tweak my diet, hoping for a solution to my health problems. Paleo helped a bit but I still had all of the issues, just to a lesser degree. After being diagnosed with hypothyroidism, I tried autoimmune paleo and finally came across your podcast. I immediately went “keto” and within 3 days I had ENGERY, I could THINK, I was no longer depressed! I am now 3 weeks in and couldn’t wait any longer to let you know how thankful I am for you and your work. Not only is the content life changing, but you present it in such an easily digestible way. You are open and so thorough that you literally answer all of the questions I have before I can ask them. I could say so much more… but for now. Thank you for all you do!

 Sarah

I just wanted to thank you for all the important information and inspiration you share with the world! I love your podcast and of course the keto diet book! You make such a difference sharing your story! In my own life, I have utilized keto to take control of my eating habits. Your bravery and honesty in sharing your story has helped me feel supported! Just wanted to let you know the positivity your work has created! Thanks again!

 Shelby

I’m about to start keto and your sites have been very helpful in my research! I enjoy the videos and the podcasts. I like that you explain the pros and cons of everything and that you choose carefully which products to share and tell us how helpful they were to you. Basically, I appreciate how thorough you are! Thank you!

 Katie

I had been at a plateau in my weight loss for over a month. After watching your videos about fasting and carbing-up, I’m finally back into losing weight! Thanks for all the great tips. I enjoy learning about keto and all of its aspects.

 Heather

I have been an endurance athlete for 12 years now, a vegan for 3.5 years, and am now starting my Fat Fueled journey. I have found your recipes immensely helpful as I train for Ironman distance triathlons. I don’t have to eat as much during the workout, and I avoid the horrible gut-bombs and sugar fermentation bloat that so many athletes suffer from. I consider your recipes vital to optimal performance and stalk your website regularly to see what new brilliance shows up!

 Amanda

After reading your blog for about a year I finally bought your book, The Keto Diet, and started eating keto almost 2 weeks ago. I’m 57 and fearful of Alzheimer’s, and my mind seems clearer and more focused. Yesterday, I found myself licking my salad plate to get all the yummy fat off of it! Thanks so much for all your info and help!

 Sharon

I’ve been on the ketogenic diet for a little over a year now, and Leanne’s advice and knowledge have helped me tremendously. One of the hardest things for me at the beginning was finding foods that were keto-friendly and actually tasted good. After using all of Leanne’s recipes, I don’t struggle with sticking to a low-carb, high-fat lifestyle anymore. And I no longer have the symptoms of depression and anxiety that used to shadow me when I didn’t follow this way of eating. I used to wake up feeling tired and had to drink tons of coffee just to get through my day. Now after following Leanne’s advice and using her recipes, I’ve finally started to have mental clarity and energy, with ZERO cups of coffee.

I turned to Keto looking for a way to lose weight, and I did! But now I am so happy to have discovered that it is much more than just weight loss. I feel much better than before and I am starting to understand how my body works, without restrictions, just listening to what is best for me. I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s at 17 and have had to fight with it since then. With the change in diet, my T3, T4, and antibodies are better than ever and I don’t need additional medication – I am able to control it with food, and that makes me really happy!

 Marta

After reading Fat Fueled, I’ve found that Leanne is a ball of badassness covered in keto chocolate scrumptiousness and topped with a piece of bacon…and she’s smart!

 Jasmine

I love this program! After watching some of Leanne’s videos, I decided to take a risk by eating high-fat. My body has healed SO MUCH over the past few months. Fat fueled is an awesome guide to eating high fat and healing your body.

 Luise

After 8 months, I am 80 lbs lighter. My chronic pain has completely disappeared and I haven’t even taken a single ibuprofen since June. I don’t track any macros. And… WE GOT PREGNANT! After ten years of infertility and two losses. Ladies, if you are trying to fix your hormones this really works! Listen to your body and run experiments on yourself to see what it responds to. Whenever I began to stall in my loss, I tried something new and I had fabulous results. I’m still considered overweight, but I have never felt as good as I do right now.

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Leanne Vogel has experienced success in using her recipes and keto-based diet. It works with her lifestyle but there are no assurances or representations of any kind made by Leanne Vogel or Healthful Pursuit Inc. that you will attain any success in using the same recipes or adopting a keto-based diet. Healthful Pursuit provides information in respect to healthy living, recipes, nutrition, and diet and is intended for informational purposes only. The information provided is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment nor is it to be construed as such. We cannot guarantee that the information provided by Healthful Pursuit reflects the most up-to-date medical research. Information is provided without any representations or warranties of any kind. Please consult a qualified physician for medical advice, and always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding your health and nutrition program.